Microsphere resonators have certain desirable characteristics including exceptionally high quality (xe2x80x9cQxe2x80x9d) factors, and small dimensions. Optical systems often use microsphere resonators as a building block for fiber optic systems. However, it is often necessary to couple optical energy from an optical fiber into the microsphere cavity. The existing couplers often suffer from certain drawbacks.
This application teaches new ways of launching energy into a resonator device such as a microsphere resonator.
A first way of doing this is by operating using a direct fiber coupling to a resonator, e.g. a microsphere using a hybrid of a waveguide and prism coupler formed on the fiber itself. Another aspect of the disclosure describes using a surface grating on the resonator in a way that disrupts the evanescent field to allow input and output coupling.